Territory



(No Model.) 7

W. F. SMITH.

BOILER TUBBVSTOPPER.

Patented May 8,1883.

772772 ersew r4. FEVERS; PhcloLIXhoguphor, Washington. at;

WILLIAM F. SMITH, OF TUCSON, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

BOILER-TUBE STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 277,365, dated May 8, 1883.

Application filed January 6, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it mag/concern Be it known that I WILLIAM FRANCIS SMITH, of Tucson, in the county of Pima and Territory ofArizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Tube Stoppers; and I do hereby declare that the followingis afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference-marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention has relation to tube and flue pluggers for steam-boilers, condensers, or other vessels having dues or tubes which are subject to be cracked by pressure or danger of burstlug. v

It is well known to engineers and others that it often happens that tubes and fiues give way under pressure, and when cracked 0r burst they leak steam or water, or both, or other contents of the vessel having multitubular structure, and often to such an extent as to cause the fires of the furnace to be extinguished, the leakage greatly lessening the pressure of steam in the boiler, and frequently filling the engine-room with steam to such an extent as to be beyond endurance. It is also well known that plugs have been inserted in boiler-tubes, and also means for holding them in position, which have more or less merit, and which are more or less objectionable. Therefore to overcome these objections and to make a sure and safe boilerplugger is the object of my invention.

To this end my invention consists in providin ga guide-handle of tubular construction, having on one of its ends a screw, and a screwthreaded tubular projection fitting thereto, the diameter of which is greater than the handle. Upon this projection I securely fasten spring finger pieces, which are flexible laterally, and adapted to clutch a plug of suitable dimensions, and of any suitable material, and in such manner that when the said plug is inserted in the mouth of the tube or flue the rammer, which passes through the tubular handle, is capable of knocking it home, all of which will be more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, showing the device ready for use. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section of my apparatus with the rammer and plug'iu position.

Like letters denote like parts in all the figures.

A is the tubular handle; l3,the tubular projection; O, the spring finger pieces, and D the plug. E represents a portion of the tube-sheet of a boiler, and F a portion of a flame-tube, and G the ram mer.

The handle A is provided with a male thread, a, at one of its ends, and the projection B with a corresponding female thread, I), which are screwed together. The section B is much larger in diameter than the handle, and is sut'ficientl y large to clutch a boiler-plug by means of the extending fingers 0. These fingers are fiexl-' ble and will yield to more or less pressure, according to the size of the plug. The plugs are generally tapering for the more ready insertion of them into the tube.

Thc rammer G is a long metallic rod of somewhat greater length than the handle, and is parallel its entire length. It may, however, have a heavy metallic head upon itsouter end, for the purpose of rendering it' heavier for a more ponderous blow.

The operation is as follows: The parts be ing all together, as shown by Fig. 1, the plug is inserted into the mouth of a leaking tube, as shown by Fig. 2. The rammer is then partly drawn out of the tubular handle, and then shot back with considerable force against the outer end of the plug, thus driving the plug home. The movement imparted to the rammer is similar to that of ramming a load into a gun from the muzzle.

The tubular handle and rammer may be of any desired length, and should always be sutficiently long to prevent the operator being burned by the steam should the boiler be in operation. Hollow plugs may be substituted for the solid plug when it is simply required to stop a leak in the tube. sary the plug may be entered in the mouth of the tube by hand, and then driven home by the rammer. The spring-fingers may be dispensedwith when the plug is inserted by hand.

When this is neces In this Way the working utility of the tube is'but the combination of the tubular handle, the anlittle impaired, the flame passing through the nular projecting piece B, provided 'with the hollow portion, and,if it be a condenser, either spring finger pieces, and the rammer, co-operthe steam or water may circulate through it.

Having thus described my invention, what I atin g with each other as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters my own I affix my signature in presence of Patent, isv 1. The combination, in a tube-plugger for steam-boilers, of the tubular handle, the pro 10 jection B, and the rammer G, as set forth.

2. In a plugging apparatus forleaking tubes,

two witnesses.

WILLIAM FRANCIS SMITH.

Witnesses WM. H. OULVER, E. W. ARAM. 

